California tour check-up

[Fred-Montreal]

Thanks for those great tip Michael and Dave!

Let's say I would stop to Sequoia/Kings on my way to the coast and spend 2 days there (aug 6+7). I'd get to San Simeon on the 8th and sleep there. Could I drive along the coast (Big Sur) up to SF in one day (aug 9)? Would I have enough time to enjoy the coast or would I have to jet it?

And what if I leave Yosemite for Vegas (without stopping by Sequoia/Kings), for a 2 day ride, going through DV on last day. What do you think of these places for an overnight: Alabama Hills (seems pretty center between Yosemite and DV), Devils Postpile (maybe too close to Yosemite, would make a long second day), or Brittlescone Pine Forrest (a little detour?)??

[CalOldBlue]

...what if I leave Yosemite for Vegas (without stopping by Sequoia/Kings), for a 2 day ride, going through DV on last day. What do you think of these places for an overnight: Alabama Hills (seems pretty center between Yosemite and DV), Devils Postpile (maybe too close to Yosemite, would make a long second day), or Brittlescone Pine Forrest (a little detour?)??

A couple thoughts:

The typical places to stop on this route would be Mammoth Lakes (near Devil's Postpile National Monument), Bishop, and Lone Pine.

Mammoth is almost certainly too close to Yosemite/too far from Death Valley to make sense, I would think Lone Pine (at the Alabama Hills) would be about right. You would have time to hit probably one or two of these that day without making it too long a day: Bodie, Mono Lake, Devil's Postpile, Bristlecone Pine forest, Alabama hills. Note that some roads may be dirt and may violate a car rental agreement.

Bodie and Devil's Postpile will require the biggest time commitment, and possibly Bristlecone Pine (have to admit it's still on my to-do list).

[Fred-Montreal]

Lots of insight here about the LA to Monterey route, but I'd like to know if Cambria to SF is doable in one day?
Consider I will NOT spend time at Hearst Castle. Also, I'm wondering if I should stay on PCH-1 all along to SF or get back on a less scenic road after Castroville or Santa Cruz for instance...

[Foy]

Hello Fred,

In early November 2007 my wife and I drove the Castroville-Morro Bay segment, pretty much what you're looking at. We did not visit Hearst Castle but did spend nearly an hour at the nearby elephant seal beach and enjoyed a long lunch at Cambria.

We took on fuel just on the north side of Monterey at around 0930. We drove slowly and stopped at quite a number of pull-offs (perhaps two dozen?), and we arrived at Cambria, following the seal beach stop, by around 2:30pm. From there, recollection tells me it was around 30 minutes on to Morro Bay, where we headed inland to San Luis Obispo and US 101 for the remainder of our trip to Ventura.

So, no Hearst Castle, no exploration in and around Big Sur, but plenty of leisurely driving and lots of stops took us around 7 hours.

Earlier in the week, we'd driven from Half-Moon Bay to the Golden Gate. It was plenty nice, but pales in comparison to the Monterey-Cambria segment. One benefit of remaining on the PCH above Monterey is seeing Capitola and Santa Cruz. Each are funky beach towns with warrens of small shops, restaurants, bars, and wharfs to explore.

If you decide to head east from the PCH at Santa Cruz, be aware that CA 17 over the Coast Range is a major-league commuter route into the Silicon Valley from the beach communities. You don't want to be bucking that traffic in the morning, trust me.

Have fun planning and taking your RoadTrip!

Foy

[Fred-Montreal]

Thanks for the tips, Foy!
That's exactly what I wanted to know!


(Moderator note: The last couple of posts have been moved from a "dead" thread from 2006. While we are glad you are looking at other and old threads for more information, please keep all of your questions about this trip in this thread. This will keep all of the information in the context of your entire trip and comes with the background of the advice that you've already been given. This is the second time we've had to move your posts back here.)

[Fred-Montreal]

Hey guys,
just wanted to thank you all for your help!
I'll be on my way to Vegas in a few hours from now.
It's gonna be a blast! I'll let you know how it went!
Thanks again for the invaluable advices and tips!

[Southwest Dave]

Have a great time Fred and I look forward to you popping by and letting us know all about your trip !

[lisa8776]

Hello,

I'm planning to go for a California trip, Can anyone suggest me the best places to visit? I'm looking for natural things such as lake, valley,adventurature kind of things . Please suggest me with the best places.
Thank you!

[Southwest Dave]

Hello Lisa and welcome to RTA !

I suggest you start your own dedicated road trip thread to get the advice you need, but with more information included. We need to know when you are travelling and for how long and where you are starting from. The more you tell us the more personalised the advice will be.

Dave.